1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The stasis takes place in a jazz club in L.A. around the 40's. Henry, Della, Rafas, and a rival gang are present. The dramatic situation is where the characters find themselves in a fight between henry and the group's rival's, the "Downey Gang."
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The stasis is briken by the police, who arrests Henry and his friends for the murder of Jose Williams. This then leads to the court case that sends the group to prison.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor is how Jose is found dead when Henry and his friends go to fight the Downey Gang.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Will Henry and his friends go to jail or will they be deemed not guilty? What happens to Henry after prison? Will Henry and his friends get out of prison?
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Throughout the play, Zoot Suit, Henry faces the conflicts of ‘me against myself,’ ‘me against society,’ and a ‘me against another individual,’ conflict. Henry’s “me against myself,” against Pachuco. The character that sometimes speaks on another point of view of Henry’s mind. Henry often argues with him and sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t. Henry and his figment Pachuco create the sort of ‘me against myself,’ conflict because Pachuco often embodies that side of him while Henry tries to embody the patriotic marine he almost became. The “me against society,” conflict Henry faces arises from the fact that he is a criminal in the eyes of the Caucasian dominated courtroom and society. He's steryotyped as a punk and a criminal because of the style of clothing he wears and his race, and they automatically assume he killed Jose Williams. The ‘me against another individual,’ conflict can be seen between Henry and Rafas, his rival. A fight with Rafas leads to Henry and his crew going down to Sleepy Lagoon and the play unfolding from there.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The most theatrical moments occur when Della elaborates on what happened tthe night of the 38th. She's interrogated by the lawyer and evene though she tells the truth, she's sent to a girl's boarding school, blatant discrimination.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
In the play, the Marine's are portrayed as a barrier that openly discriminate against the "zoot suits." They are shown as a tension faactor against the latino communities. The Zoots themselves show a new generation facing segregation from more conservative wlaks of life. Jose Williams is a prime example that shows from an outside perspective that he's a victim, but from the police perspective, he was the measn to crack down on Zuit Suiters.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Identity struggles, fate, minority vs. society, and unfairness are constant themes that are in the play.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
Henry’s family is both his actual family and the 38th Gang. The 38th gang is actually stays with him in court and in his fight at the Lagoon. Even Della tries to speak on Henry's behalf in the courts. Throughout the play, family is present, whether it is in the form of the 38th Street Gang or with his blood family. Everyone in these groups have bonds.
The stasis takes place in a jazz club in L.A. around the 40's. Henry, Della, Rafas, and a rival gang are present. The dramatic situation is where the characters find themselves in a fight between henry and the group's rival's, the "Downey Gang."
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The stasis is briken by the police, who arrests Henry and his friends for the murder of Jose Williams. This then leads to the court case that sends the group to prison.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor is how Jose is found dead when Henry and his friends go to fight the Downey Gang.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Will Henry and his friends go to jail or will they be deemed not guilty?
What happens to Henry after prison? Will Henry and his friends get out of prison?
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Throughout the play, Zoot Suit, Henry faces the conflicts of ‘me against myself,’ ‘me against society,’ and a ‘me against another individual,’ conflict.
Henry’s “me against myself,” against Pachuco. The character that sometimes speaks on another point of view of Henry’s mind. Henry often argues with him and sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t. Henry and his figment Pachuco create the sort of ‘me against myself,’ conflict because Pachuco often embodies that side of him while Henry tries to embody the patriotic marine he almost became. The “me against society,” conflict Henry faces arises from the fact that he is a criminal in the eyes of the Caucasian dominated courtroom and society. He's steryotyped as a punk and a criminal because of the style of clothing he wears and his race, and they automatically assume he killed Jose Williams. The ‘me against another individual,’ conflict can be seen between Henry and Rafas, his rival. A fight with Rafas leads to Henry and his crew going down to Sleepy Lagoon and the play unfolding from there.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The most theatrical moments occur when Della elaborates on what happened tthe night of the 38th. She's interrogated by the lawyer and evene though she tells the truth, she's sent to a girl's boarding school, blatant discrimination.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
In the play, the Marine's are portrayed as a barrier that openly discriminate against the "zoot suits." They are shown as a tension faactor against the latino communities. The Zoots themselves show a new generation facing segregation from more conservative wlaks of life. Jose Williams is a prime example that shows from an outside perspective that he's a victim, but from the police perspective, he was the measn to crack down on Zuit Suiters.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Identity struggles, fate, minority vs. society, and unfairness are constant themes that are in the play.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
Henry’s family is both his actual family and the 38th Gang. The 38th gang is actually stays with him in court and in his fight at the Lagoon. Even Della tries to speak on Henry's behalf in the courts. Throughout the play, family is present, whether it is in the form of the 38th Street Gang or with his blood family. Everyone in these groups have bonds.